Firewood

[dthurk]

A couple of summers ago, we bought a facecord of firewood locally for $35.  We stacked it in our backyard and covered it to keep it from getting wet.  This way, we're assured of a good supply of inexpensive seasoned wood for our campfires.  We've bought too many of those tiny overpriced bundles of green wood supplied at campground offices.  

At any rate, I know that importing of wood is absolutely prohibited at some areas, due to potential infestation of little bugs from area to area.  I don't think we've brought wood into a prohibited area, but can't guarantee that totally.  We do carry the wood in a large rubbermaid container that seals farily well and is closed at all times except to build and feed a fire, so the wood is burned immediately from the container.  The container seals well enough that we can leave it outdoors by the fire ring and it survives rainstorms with water puddled on the lid, yet the wood inside is still dry.  I've never seen anything crawling around or flying away from one of our campfires or the container.  

Would anyone here have thoughts on this issue?  Is there any way we might be carrying infested wood, and if so, would we be risking infestation of forests in other areas?   We generally come home with an empty container as we make sure to burn everything we take, so I don't think there would be any chance of us bringing anything home, at least in the firewood.

[Tim5055]

Generally the quarantine does not prohibit bringing your own wood with you unless you are starting in a quarantine area.  If you do bring your wood, it must all be burned or left in the area - no taking any back with you.


Here is a portion of the Ohio rule:

Accordingly, no person shall move from or through the regulated areas any
regulated article except in accordance with rule 901:5-56-03 of the Ohio
Administrative Code.

If you read further into the code "through" indicates you have to keep moving; you could drive from NY to NE through Ohio and not be in trouble.  As soon as you stop, like for camping all wood must be consumed.

[ForestCreature]

Some areas of MI will confiscate your wood as you arrive at a CG unless it is certified by a liscensed arboist. Most SPs we have been to inspect your wood upon registration. They are getting stricter about the movement of any wood here, and rightfully so. There is NO wood allowed at all over the Mackinaw bridge to the UP. They are finally training the DNR people how to identify Ash. It's sad to see what is happening to the Ash trees here.
 
 http://www.michigan.gov/mda/0,1607,7-125-1568_2390_18298-115218--,00.html
 http://www.michigan.gov/eab
 http://www.emeraldashborer.info/
 

[aw738]

A little FYI about buying firewood.

What should I look for when buying firewood?

[dthurk]

A little FYI about buying firewood.

What should I look for when buying firewood?

Interesting article, and some very good points made.  I would agree the term "face cord" can be misleading and one needs to be careful when dealing with it.  Volume is the key to buying wood.  When assessing pricing of face cords, it is most important to know the length of the pile.  A 16" face cord will not be the same volume as an 18" face cord or a 24" face cord, and they should be priced accordingly.  It would be important to see the stack before you buy it.  The most common dimensions for a face cord in this area is 4' x 8' x 16", so 3 face cords would equal a full cord.  

I never buy wood that is delivered to me.  We have a utility trailer with a GVWR of 3,990 and empty weight of 750 lbs.  I'll use that to pick up wood at the dealers property.  That way, I can see and measure the wood I'm buying.  A 1/2 ton pickup truck will have a very difficult time carrying a "face cord" of wood, and will not be capable of carrying a true 48" cord of hardwood.  I don't recall now the actual weights involved.  I saw a chart once of weights of various varieties of wood, and it is more considerable that one might think.  It would probably be more accurate for wood to be sold by weight, but I don't think that would be happening any time soon.  

We used to own a house with a woodstove and bought considerable quantities of wood to burn in the winters we lived there.  I've had some amount of experience buying cordwood.